Display containers



June 29, 1965 E. D. GILLAM 3,191,766

DISPLAY CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l EDWARD D. GILL/1M BY W ATTORNEY June 29, 1965 E. D. GILLAM 3,191,766

DISPLAY CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD D. GILL AM United States Patent 3,191,766 DKSPLAY CQNTAWERS Edward D. Gillan], Centennial Road, Penn Valley, Pa. Filed Jan. 4, 1%3, Ser. No. 242,420 9 Claims. (Ci. 266-4532) It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a display container which is quick and easy to set up for use and which is strong and stable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display container of the easel type having a display panel in which the support and the display panel are stored in flat condition and upon removal of the container from its sleeve or cover are impelled to or substantially to their positions for use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display container of the easel type having a display panel in which the support and the display panel may be resiliently urged toward their position for use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display container of the easel type having a tray with an inserted display panel and support which are readily assembled with the tray.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display container of the easel type having a display panel with simple but effiective locking structure for maintaining the display panel in the position for use.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a display container in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the display container shown in FIG. 1;

- FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank for making the support and display panel; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank for making the tray.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The display container in accordance with the invention is preferably constructed from blanks of paperboard or the like, finished on one face for printing if desired, and

with suitable crease lines, cutouts, and slots to facilitate the assembly.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 4 of the drawings, a blank B1 is shown, of paperboard, which provides the display panel and easel support together with the mounting for the resilient element by which the display panel and support are impelled toward their positions for use.

The blank Bl preferably includes a substantially rectangular display panel 10 having an end margin 11 and opposite parallel side margins 12. The display panel 10 is joined along a transverse crease line 13 to a rectangular mounting panel 14. The crease line 13 is interrupted at the central portion with a slit which provides a locking tongue 16. The side margins 12 of the panel 14 are aligned with the side margins 12 of the panel 15 The mounting panel 14 is joined to a front supporting panel 17 along a transverse crease line 18. The opposite side margins 19 of the panel 17 are more Widely spaced than the margins 12 to provide shoulders 20 at each side.

The front supporting panel 17 is joined along a trans verse crease line 21 to a bottom spacer panel 22 which is in turn joined along a transverse crease line 23 to another bottom spacer panel 24.

The spacer panel 24 is joined along a transverse crease line 25 to a rear supporting panel 26. The crease line 25 is interrupted at the central part thereof by a cutout 27 which provides an abutment 28 with notches 29 on each side thereof.

The rear supporting panel 26 is joined along a transverse crease line 30 to a securing panel 31 of trapezoidal shape which is adapted to be adhesively secured to the rear face of the mounting panel 14 with the crease lines 18 and 30 together. The panel 31, in the blank, has a temporary aligning and assembly panel 32 joined thereto along a transverse perforated or interrupted slitted line 33. The temporary panel 32 is joined along a transverse perforated or interrupted slitted line 34 to an abutment panel 35 which has inwardly inclined margins 36 with inset spaced abutment slots 37, from which outwardly inclined margins 38 extend. The abutment panel 35 is connected along aligned transverse crease lines 39 to swinging hinge panels 40 which are connected along aligned perforated fold lines 41 to mounting tabs 42. The margins 38 extend along the outer sides of the hinge panels 40 and substantially to the fold lines 41.

Extending inwardly from the outer margins 43 of the mounting tabs 42, cutout 44 is provided, the inner margin 45 of which is inwardly of the crease lines 39.

Themounting tabs 42 are adhesively secured, as hereinafter pointed out, to the rear face of the display panel 10, at locations determined by the assembly panel 32,

and which locates the crease lines 39 further from the marginal edge 11, longitudinally considered, than the crease line 13 to provide a lever action.

The blank B1 is brought to assembled condition by bending the blank B1 along the crease line 23 to bring the spacer panels 22 and 24 together and to locate the mounting tabs 42 in position on the back face of the display panel 10 where they are secured in place by gluing. The panel 31 is secured in position at the same time, by gluing. This can be accomplished on conventional equipment available to the box maker.

The assembly panel 32 is then stripped off by tearing along the lines 33 and 34. The mounting tabs 42 retain the abutment panel 35' ready for use.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. Set the drawings a blank B2 is shown, also of paperboard, which provides the tray T to which the display panel and support are assembled.

The blank B2 preferably includes a central panel which is adapted to form the bottom wall or floor or" the tray T. The central panel 50 has rectangular side wall panels 51 joined thereto along longitudinal crease lines 52. An outside front end panel 53 is joined to the central panel 50 along a transverse crease line 54. The end panel 53 has end marginal edges 55. The crease line 54 at the center thereof may be provided with a slit 56 which provides a tongue 57. The front end panel 53 has extending from the marginal edges 55 an access cutout 53 for visi- U bility and to facilitate manula access to articles in the tray T.

The side wall panels 51 have end flaps 59 and 69 joined thereto along transverse crease lines 61 which are aligned with the crease line 54. The end flaps 59 and 60 have edges 62 and 63 which meet when the flaps 59 and 60 are glued in position interiorly on the end panel 53. The flaps 59 and 69 have margins 64 and 65 which clear the access cutout or opening 58. The flaps 59 and 60 also have relieved or set back edges 66.

The central panel 59 has joined thereto along a trans verse crease line 67, parallel to the crease line 54, a back wall panel 68 having an edge margin 69 and inclined side edges 70. The edge margin 69 has an adjusting tongue locking edge portion 79 for engagement by the tongue 16.

The side wall panels 51 have joined thereto along inclined crease lines 71 to provide a slot 80 in the assem bled tray, back end wall flaps 72 with margins 73 aligned with the crease lines 52, end margins 74 aligned in the blank with the edge margin 69, and marginal portions 75 and 76 with locking projections 77 and holding slots 78 therebelow and aligned with the marginal portions 75. The back end wall fiaps 72 are secured, as by gluing, with their terminal portions in overlapped relation and their marginal portions 75 as a continuous edge.

A slot 80 is thus made available between the back wall panel 68 and the back end wall flaps 72 for insertion of the display panel to bring the mounting panel 14 there between with relative movement limited by the shoul ders 26.

The side panels 51 of the tray T can have diagona. crease lines 32 thereon extending from the junctions of the crease lines 52 and 71 and diagonal crease lines 81 thereon extending from the junctions of the crease lines 52, 54 and 61, to permit folding the tray T to flat condition for shipping, if desired.

The tray T is brought to assembled condition from the blank B2, with the end flaps 59 and 60 secured to the interior of the front end panel 53 and with the back wall panel 68 interiorly disposed with respect to the end wall flaps 72 which have been adhesively secured in overlapping relation.

As previously pointed out, the tray T can be collapsed for shipping by bending the side wall panels 51 along the crease lines 31 and 82 to flatten the front end panel 53 and the back wall panel 68 and end wall flaps 72.

When it is desired to fill the tray T with articles, such as packages or the like in rows and columns and-in layers, the tray T is utilized in its setup condition.

Before or after filling the tray T, and if automatic positioning of the display panel 10 and the easel support is desired, a resilient endless band R, preferably a rubber band, can be applied in engagement in the abutment slots 37 and hooked over the abutment 28 and engaged in the notches 29. The band R is preferably of a size to be under some tension when so applied and to be capable of extension to increase the tension.

The display panel 10 is inserted into the slot 80 from below and the mounting panel 14 moved so that the shoulders abut at the bottom of the slot 80. The dis play panel 10 is then bent forwardly along the crease line 13 and disposed forwardly over the top of the tray T. The support provided by the front supporting panel 17, the rear supporting panel 26 and their spacers 22 and 24 in inwardly collapsed positions-between the panels 17 and 26 is also bent forwardly along the crease lines 18 and 3t beneath the bottom wall 50' of the tray T. This last folding increases the tension of the band R.

The location and shaping of the abutment panel and particularly the location of the crease lines 39 provides a lever action etfective by the band R to urge the display panel 10 upwardly when the panel is freed from restraint.

The tray T with the flattened display panel 10 and the flattened supporting panels 17 and 26 can then be inserted into a sleeve S for shipping. The sleeve S can advantageously have finger access openings 83 at each side to facilitate removal for use of the tray T and itsassociated structure.

When the tray T and its associated structure are withdrawn from the sleeve S the display panel 10 and the support which includes the panels 17 and 26 are no longer held in flat condition with respect to the tray T. The band R by tension applied on the abutment 28 at the notches 29 and simultaneously applied on the abutment panel 35 at the slots 37 and acting through the abutment panel 35, hinge panels 49 and tabs 42 causes the display panel 10 to swing upwardly about the pivotal axis at the crease line 13, and the support provided by the supporting panels 17 and 26 to swing downwardly about the pivotal axis at the creaselines 18 and 30.

The display panel 10 is preferably then swung manually to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, so that the tongue 16 snaps over the edge 69 of the back wall panel 68 to retain the panel 10 from forward displacement. At the same time the margins 38 of the hinge panels are snapped past the projections 77 and into the slots 73 to provide additional retention of the display panel 10 in its upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, if desired.

It will be noted that a lever action is applied by the band R in the abutment slots 37 by reason of the onsetting of the hinge for the abutment panel 35 provided by the crease lines 39 with respect to the hinge axis of the panel 16 provided by the crease line 13.

The structure heretofore described provides a rigid structure with the tray T rigid and rigidly supported, and which is brought to a condition for use in a simple but effective manner.

The structure accordingly is particularly suitable for the attainment of the objects of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a display container,

a tray having forwardly and rearwardly disposed rear wall portions in closely spaced relation with a mounting panel receiving slot therebetween,

the rearwardly disposed rear wall portion having a central cutout with locking projections at each end,

a unitary support and display member for said tray,

said member having a display panel,

a mounting panel having an upper margin from which said display panel extends,

a transversely disposed hinged connection between said display panel and said mounting panel,

hinged panels secured to a rear face of the display panel and extending in over-lapping relation to said mounting panel,

said hinged panels having opposite side margins movable into locked engagement with said locking projections and being positioned at a lower limit position determined by said central cutout, anda plurality of collapsible support panels carried by said mounting panel,

said support and display member being disposed with said mounting member positioned in said slot,

said display panel being collapsible to a flat position along the top of the tray and said support panels being collapsible to a fiat position along the bottom of said tray.

2. A display container as defined in claim 1 in which,

said support panels include,

a first support panel extending from and hingedly connected to a lower margin of said mounting panel,

a second support panel connected to said first support panel, and

a securing panel is provided extending from and hingedly connected to said second support panel and is secured to said mounting panel.

3. A display container as defined in claim 2 in which,

one of said support panels has an abutment thereon,

said hinged panels have an abutment thereon in continuous oifset relation to the hinged connection between the display panel and the mounting panel to position the abutment contiguous to but rearwardly of the forwardly disposed rear wall portion with the display panel collapsed to flat position along the top of the tray, and

a resilient band is provided in engagement with said abutrnents simultaneously urging said display panel and said support from their collapsed positions.

4. A display container as defined in claim 1 in which,

said hinged panels include a hinged abutment panel with a hinge connection offset from the hinged connection between said display panel and said mounting panel.

5. A display container as defined in claim 4 in which, said hinged abutment panel has an actuating abutment thereon spaced from said ofiset hinged connection. 6. A support and display member made from a single piece of material for a tray comprising in integral relation,

a display panel,

a mounting panel hingedly connected along one margin to said display panel,

a first support panel hingedly connected to said mounting panel along an opposite margin thereof,

hingedly connected spacer panels sequentially hingedly connected one of which is connected to said first support panel and another of which is connected to a second support panel,

a securing panel hingedly connected to said second support panel and adhesively secured to a face of said mounting panel.

mounting tabs adhesively secured to said display panel,

a hinge panel member hingedly connected to said mounting tabs,

an abutment panel hingedly connected to said hinge panel member with its hinged connection offset along the mounting panel with respect to the connection between said display panel and said mounting panel, and

a removable connecting panel between and severably secured to said securing panel and said abutment panel.

7. A support and display member as defined in claim in which,

said abutment panel has an abutment thereon spaced from its hinged connection for engagement by a resilient band.

8. In a display container,

a tray having forwardly and rearwardly disposed rear wall portions in closely spaced relation with a mounting panel slot therebetween,

a unitary support and display member for said tray,

said member having a display panel,

a mounting panel of substantially the same width as said display panel from which said display panel extends,

a transversely disposed hinged connection between said display panel and said mounting panel,

said hinged connection being interrupted to provide a snap lock tongue on said display panel at said hinged connection in coplanar relation to said display panel,

members on said support and display member and engaging the tray limiting the upward movement of said mounting panel with respect to said tray,

said tongue having a margin ofiset from and in closely spaced relation to said hinged connection and being resiliently movable over the top margin of the forwardly disposed rear wall portion of the tray to restrict upward swinging movement ofsaid display panel.

9. A display container as defined in claim 8 in which,

rear positioning members are provided for restricting rear tilting movement of said display panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,308,949 7/19 Harris et a1 206-45.24 1,526,731 2/25 Young 206-2524 1,633,779 6/27 Fisher 229-34 1,701,064 2/ 29 Darragh 206-453 1,745,947 2/ 30 Mustin 20645.24 1,840,439 1/32 Ewell 20645.24

FOREIGN PATENTS 740,577 1 1/55 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners. 

1. IN A DISPLAY CONTAINER, A TRAY HAVING FORWARD AND REARWARDLY DISPOSED REAR WALL PORTIONS IN CLOSELY SPACED RELATION WITH A MOUNTING PANEL RECEIVING SLOT THEREBETWEEN, THE REARWARDLY DISPOSED REAR WALL PORTION HAVING A CENTRAL CUTOUT WITH LOCKING PROJECTIONS AT EACH END A UNITARY SUPPORT AND DISPLAY MEMBER FOR SAID TRAY, SAID MEMBER HAVING A DISPLAY PANEL, A MOUNTING PANEL HAVING AN UPPER MARGIN FROM WHICH SAID DISPLAY PANEL EXTENDS, A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED HINGED CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DISPLAY PANEL AND SAID MOUNTING PANEL. HINGED PANELS SECURED TO A REAR FACE OF THE DISPLAY PANEL AND EXTENDING TO OVER-LAPPING RELATION TO SAID MOUNTING PANEL, SAID HINGED PANELS HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE MARGINS MOVABLE INTO LOCKED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOCKING PROJECTIONS AND BEING POSITIONED AT A LOWER LIMIT POSITION DETERMINED BY SAID CENTRAL CUTOUT, AND A PLURALITY OF COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT PANELS CARRIED BY SAID MOUNTING PANEL, SAID SUPPORT AND DISPLAY MEMBER BEING DISPOSED WITH SAID MOUNTING MEMBER POSITIONED IN SAID SLOT, SAID DISPLAY PANEL BEING COLLAPSIBLE TO A FLAT POSITION ALONG THE TOP OF THE TRAY AND SAID SUPPORT PANELS BEING COLLAPSIBLE TO A FLAT POSITION ALONG THE BOTTOM OF SAID TRAY. 